Underneath the beauty of Alaska lie secrets that have shocked the world, from unidentified
underwater species to having no snakes, lizards, or water turtles despite the terrain. Recently,
scientists have made mysterious discoveries that have surprised
and intrigued researchers and adventurers alike. What exactly
did they find? Join us as we uncover the Alaska discovery that will shock the world.
Super Volcano
Under Alaska’s quiet lands is a big and dangerous surprise:
a hidden supervolcano under the Aleutian Islands. It was found
during a study of six volcanoes in the area by the Alaska Volcano Observatory.
Scientists found something incredible – a hidden supervolcano under Alaska's
Aleutian Islands. Recent studies suggest a big hole this supervolcano makes might
connect at least four existing volcanoes. This concept, discussed in a science meeting,
suggests the Aleutian Islands could be remnants of an incredibly strong volcano explosion,
possibly stronger than Mount St. Helens' eruption.
The group of islands, with 40 active and 17 sleeping volcanoes, stretches over 1,860 miles
between Alaska and Russia, at the southern edge of the Bering Sea. The potential hole,
made by lots of hot rock underground, could be as wide as 20 kilometres.
These holes can cause big explosions, more than the ash and lava from tall volcanoes.
Studies of maps, machines that measure shaking, gases coming out,
and the Earth's pull show a hidden hole. The tops of the volcanoes make a circle,
and pictures under the sea show curved ridges and a 130-meter hole – signs of a big connected hole.
Satellites measuring gravity and studies of gases and tiny earthquakes also show there's
probably a big hole. Ongoing volcanic activity, especially in Mount Cleveland,
resembles the features of volcanoes connected to known big holes.
Even though we still don't know some things, like how big the hole is and where it came from,
early studies give us helpful ideas about possible dangers in
the area. Even though this discovery is amazing, scientists are still learning,
and figuring out these Earth events might help them deal with possible problems in the future.
Golden-egg
On August 30, 2023, a group of scientists,
using a special underwater robot called a Remotely Operated Vehicle, found something
surprising off the coast of Alaska – a strange, golden orb-like creature. These scientists,
who are part of the NOAA Ocean Exploration team, described the creature as a smooth,
round thing at least four inches long. Because it looked fragile, the team handled it with care.
The golden orb-like thing was discovered lying on the rocky bottom of the ocean
during a deep-sea search. Scientists used a tool to gently pick it up for more study.
People started calling it different names, like a "golden egg" or a "golden blob," but
since they don't know much about it yet, they are still studying and trying to find out more.
Scientists have yet to agree on what this golden orb-like
thing is. Ongoing research involves looking at its features, how it acts,
and what role it might play in the ocean. Some people think it could be an egg or protective
covering, while others wonder if it might be a completely new and unknown type of sea creature.
Vampire Fish Falling from the Sky
Imagine this strange situation. One morning, you go outside,
and something really weird happens – a bunch of vampire fish, called lampreys,
fall from the sky and spread all over your yard. It might sound like a part
of a make-believe story, but this occurred in Fairbanks, Alaska, back in June 2015.
These creatures look like a mix of a snake, an eel, a worm, and a leech. They can range
from 5 inches to a large 40 inches. What's even more creepy about them is how they eat.
They are a special kind of ancient fish without jaws. They have a round,
jawless mouth with a special suction disc, which helps them stick to other
fish and feed on their blood and body fluids. They're pretty good at hunting.
These lampreys live in different water places,
like rivers, lakes, and coastal areas, especially cool, clean, fresh water.
Now, the big question is, how did these scary lampreys end up falling from the sky and landing
on people's yards? The truth is, nobody knows for sure. Some think that seagulls might have
grabbed the fish from the ocean and then dropped them from above. Others believe
it could be because of high tides or heavy rains pushing these water creatures into neighbourhoods.
The Giant Halibut
You can find some huge fish in Alaska, which might make you wonder what they're eating to
grow so big. Take, for instance, a massive halibut caught by a man named Greg Brewer.
This fish weighed an incredible 327 pounds. Alaskan halibut can grow to amazing sizes.
We're talking about lengths of up to 8 feet and widths reaching 5 feet, with a maximum weight
of up to 500 pounds. That's not just big; it's a true wonder of the underwater world.
The giant halibut is an extraordinary flatfish that lives in the cold waters
of the North Pacific Ocean. Known for its impressive size, this fish
is part of the flounder family and has a flat, diamond-shaped body. Its eyes on the upper side,
usually brown to olive in colour, help it blend in perfectly with the ocean floor.
They eat different kinds of food, like fish, crustaceans, and smaller flatfish. Also,
the white meat of the halibut is considered a delicacy in many cooking styles.
King Bear Skull
In the vast wilderness of Alaska, there might be animals we don't know about yet,
hidden from the rest of the world. Among the native tribes,
like the Inupiat, there are stories about the king bear.
This wasn't an ordinary bear; people said it was much bigger than usual. Some believe
the king bear might have been a polar bear that lived here around 1300 years ago. Now,
jump to 2014, an archaeologist found a bear's skull - the fourth largest ever
discovered - on a beach in far-north Alaska after a storm near the Walakpa archaeological site,
a human settlement more than 1,000 years old.
This skull was 16 inches long, much bigger than the skulls of
bears today. This finding makes us think that the stories about the king bear could be true,
adding a sense of mystery and amazement to Alaska's already fascinating natural world.
Giant Mosquitoes
There are gigantic mosquitoes in Alaska, especially in the open
fields and northern Alaska, where there are dense forests and marshland. But,
the cities and towns in Alaska are not overwhelmed by annoying mosquitoes.
When we imagine big frogs, snakes, and bees,
it often brings movie scenes to mind. But in Alaska, a place known for its extremes,
giant mosquitoes aren't just in the realm of fiction; they're very real. These
Alaskan mosquitoes are so large that locals jokingly call them the unofficial state bird.
Imagine a mosquito roughly the same size as a full-grown American honey bee. That's what
you get in Alaska, called a Snow mosquito. That's pretty big for a mosquito, right?
At least with their size, you'll notice them coming your way. These
mosquitoes aren't just large; they're incredibly bold. They've been known
to chase groups of caribou right into the sea, and if that's not surprising enough,
they can even drink all the blood from an entire caribou. Yeah, it's as scary as it sounds.
. The Alaskan Vortex
The "Alaskan Triangle," located between Utqiagvik, Anchorage,
and Juneau, is a vast expanse of boreal forests, barren tundra, and icy peaks.
But it's more than just a shape on the map; it's a mysterious and puzzling region in the
Alaskan wilderness. This remote area has gained a reputation because around
16,000 people have mysteriously disappeared there. It's not just the large number but
also the strange circumstances surrounding these disappearances that have led to various theories.
One of the most outlandish ideas is that of alien abductions,
suggesting that it is extraterrestrial.
Beings might be responsible for these mysterious vanishings. Another concept
involves energy vortexes in the Alaska Triangle,
believed to impact human behaviour significantly. People mentioned unusual
distortions and hallucinations here, leading to discussions about these mysterious forces.
But it doesn't end there; anomalies in the Earth's magnetic field have also been suggested to explain
these puzzling occurrences. Among the numerous disappearance cases, one notable incident is
the vanishing of Congressman Hale Boggs in 1972. Something about this area challenges
our usual understanding, making it a perplexing mystery for researchers and investigators alike.
Ice Age Fossils in Fairbanks
Researchers found a special place in Fairbanks, Alaska, called the Alaskan Boneyard,
a small area full of Ice Age fossils like mammoths, horses, and bison. These fossils
help us learn about the ancient animals and the environment in prehistoric Alaska.
Discovered by John Reeves, the owner of a Fairbanks gold company,
while looking for gold, this site has revealed over a quarter of a million Ice Age bones and
fossils. Carbon dating shows these bones are between 3,000 and 22,000 years old,
giving us a peek into the Pleistocene period, also known as the Ice Age.
During the Ice Age, there was an open path between Siberia and Alaska,
letting Ice Age animals move around. Despite limited scientific research,
the Alaskan Boneyard might have been a watering hole and hunting ground during that time. They
found something important besides the Ice Age bones — a layer of burned Earth.
The Alaskan Boneyard is home to rare Ice Age animals in Alaska, like mammoths, bison,
American lions, dire wolves, short-faced bears, and cave lions. Surprisingly,
the permafrost at the site preserved whole animals, even their organic tissues, giving us
incredible insights into ancient ecosystems. This discovery goes beyond studying ancient animals;
frozen trees, plants, mushrooms, and flowers tell us about the ancient environment.
This small, five-acre site raises interesting questions about Alaska's hidden secrets. It's
not just a fossil site; it's like a time machine,
inviting us to imagine and explore the mysteries that Alaska still keeps.
Frozen Forests Under the Ocean
Near Southeast Alaska's coast, scientists are very interested in a hidden underwater forest
that's more than 10,000 years old. These old trees, kept well, tell us about the area's
past weather and environmental changes, making us wonder how things changed over thousands of years.
Troy L. Péwé discovered this unique forest near Ester, Alaska,
about nine miles east of Fairbanks. It's made up of spruce and birch trees,
found between layers of soil, and is thought to be around 125,000 years old. Péwé,
a geologist first at the University of Alaska Fairbanks and later at Arizona State University,
found this frozen forest while studying permafrost for the U.S. Geological Survey in 1949.
Péwé saw trees frozen between layers of loess, silt made by glaciers and carried by winds. The
buried trees were about 45 feet below the current forest at Eva Creek, showing they're really old.
With new dating methods, Péwé's knowledge about the forest's age improved 50 years
later. By checking layers of volcanic ash above and below the frozen forest, researchers guessed
the trees' age to be around 125,000 years. The frozen forest at Eva Creek was around
when it was up to 5 degrees Celsius warmer than today, and there was only a bit of permafrost.
The forest has burnt trees, suggesting big forest fires 125,000 years ago. Insect marks
on the spruce bark show there were spruce bark beetles back then. The
Eva Creek frozen forest stayed well because of a slow process. About 120,000 years ago,
during a cooling period, the trees died. Dust storms from the Tanana Flats,
originally from the Alaska Range mountains, covered them with fine soil. The wind carried it,
slowly covering and freezing the old trees as the climate cooled and permafrost formed.
Miners in the 1940s found the frozen forest using big machines. Péwé found the trees
between Gold Hill Loess and Goldstream Formation layers. Other Loess deposits
in Fairbanks help understand the time between ice ages. Péwé suggested the state buy this
land for scientific study. The Eva Creek frozen forest and similar places tell
us much about past weather, helping researchers predict future patterns.
Rare Blue Glacier Ice Worms
In the Juneau Icefield, researchers found something surprising – rare
blue glacier ice worms. These special creatures live in the icy conditions of
glaciers and are adapted to survive in extreme cold. This discovery gives us
new insights into the diversity of Alaska's glacial ecosystems.
Finding these rare blue glacier ice worms in the Juneau Icefield is like opening a new chapter in
our knowledge of Alaska's glacial areas. These interesting creatures, recognized by their unique
blue colour, thrive in the super cold conditions of glaciers. The researchers exploring the Juneau
Icefield found these ice worms, showing us the amazing adaptations that help them survive in
such tough environments. The fact that life exists in these icy places challenges what we
thought about where life can live and shows how resilient organisms can be in extreme conditions.
These rare blue glacier ice worms live in glaciers where temperatures are extremely low. Their
ability to move through glacial ice and endure freezing temperatures adds to the mystery of their
existence. The ongoing scientific investigation aims to understand why these ice worms are blue,
a feature that gives them their name. We still don't fully grasp their role in the
broader glacial ecosystem, and researchers are actively studying how they interact
with their surroundings and contribute to the delicate balance of life in these icy places.
Beyond their unique biology and appearance, discovering these rare blue glacier ice worms
is scientifically important. Their adaptation to extreme cold and life in glaciers gives us
insights into extremophiles—organisms that thrive in conditions we once thought were inhospitable.
Studying these ice worms helps us understand biodiversity, adaptation, and the potential
for life in unexpected places. Moreover, this research has implications for astrobiology
as scientists explore the limits of where life might exist, even in environments beyond Earth.
Ancient Human Settlements on the Aleutian Islands The Aleutian Islands, a remote and rugged
archipelago in Alaska, have recently become the focus of archaeological attention due
to the discovery of evidence pointing to ancient human settlements. Archaeologists have unearthed
clues that challenge previous notions about the region's timing and routes of human migration.
The findings suggest that humans may have inhabited these remote islands much earlier.
The Anangula Site is a significant archaeological
site in Alaska's Aleutian Islands. Situated on a 1.5-mile-long island
off the western coast of Umnak Island and 3.1 miles north-northwest of Nikolski Bay.
This site provides evidence of one of the earliest human settlements in the Aleutian
Islands, with origins dating back to around 6400 BCE. Initially believed
in the 1970s to be a remnant of people who migrated across the land bridge from Asia,
the Anangula Site holds valuable insights into the early history of human habitation in this region.
The Anangula site was initially discovered by William S. Laughlin in 1938 during surface surveys
that identified its potential significance. In the 1950s, additional research was conducted in
the area, but it wasn't until major features were found buried beneath 6.6 ft of volcanic deposits
that its great age became apparent. Excavations in the late 1960s revealed eight house remains,
either fully or partially, along with more than 30,000 artefacts. Some of these artefacts differed
significantly from other North American finds of that time. The structures, measuring about 9.8
ft by 18 ft, were partially below ground and seemed designed for single-family occupancy.
In 1972, the site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Ananiuliak
Island Archeological District. It was later designated a National Historic Landmark
District in 1978. The recognition reflects the site's archaeological importance and
contribution to understanding the early human presence in the Aleutian Islands.
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